Franchise job market posts strong gains

ROSELAND, N.J. (Jan. 23, 2014) — U.S. private-sector franchise jobs increased by 30,250 during December 2013, according to the ADP National Franchise Report.

"Job creation in the franchise industry showed encouraging activity in December, posting the overall strongest gain in nine months," said Ahu Yildirmaz, senior director of the ADP Research Institute.

"Throughout 2013, the franchise industry added 229,000 new jobs, which represents nearly 11 percent of all new jobs created in the U.S., based on our data. Year over year, the rate of employment growth among franchise businesses was 2.9 percent, outpacing the national average of 1.9 percent by a full percentage point."

The year-over-year employment growth rate for gas stations and auto repair franchises was essentially flat at 0.9 percent, while the auto parts and dealers segment grew 2.4 percent, according to the report.